Florida medicaid privatization plans moving forward

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (AP) - Federal health officials say they expect to approve Florida's request to move Medicaid patients into private managed care programs if the state resolves several issues to ensure they will be run with transparency and accountability.

The state wants to shift roughly 3 million Medicaid patients into managed care plans that allow for-profit providers to determine their care. The goal of the sweeping bills passed in 2011 was to save the state money on the $21 billion a year program while improving services.

Federal health officials want the state to meet regularly with insurers and patients and have an independent entity monitoring the program.

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